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Ronyn
Ronyn are a historically nomadic race of warrior-priests with whom originates the polytheism of the Empire of Saleman. Historically, they have occupied the White Plains as nomads, settled into the city which bears their name, and created a field of combat on what is now called Ronyn Peninsula. They are unusually long lived, which is seen as a blessing of the Gods. Some Ronyn are known to wander from their tribe; Ronyn have been encountered as far South as Greater Arctica and have been sighted riding Dragons over the Echana River. Origins Ronyn are committed to the oral transmission of their ideology and are generally very secretive. It is known that Saleman earned their trust through combat, in which each Saleman allowed each Ronyn he met to challenge him to combat, in accordance with their ancient tradition. When Saleman was not to be able to be bested by any of the Ronyn, all the Ronyn swore allegiance to Saleman and hailed him as a harbinger of the Gods. Most Ronyn have long blood lines of descent from other Ronyn; however, each generation, there are some who leave their native society to join the ranks of the Ronyn. In former times, these were often the children of conquered enemies. In the recent era, non-nativeborn Ronyn usually come from the poorest ranks of Imperial society. Tribal Nature Ronyn organize themselves into a tribal meritocracy, where each tribe functions independently but sees itself as a part of the wider Ronyn society. Merit in Ronyn society is based upon a test of skills: a combination of combat, poetry, recitation, and farming. Leaders of Ronyn tribes are those who display the best aptitude in those areas, and those leaders may be challenged at any time. Challenging a current tribal leader is not taken lightly, however, as it is considered dishonorable to challenge a leader if the challenger does not feel it is the will of the Gods. Ronyn Values Each individual Ronyn is expected to be a warrior, a priest, a poet, a theologian, and a farmer all at once. Training beings as soon as a young Ronyn can walk. Each Ronyn child is gifted to a family that is not his own, and he is branded on the center of his back with the name of his parents. When the Ronyn turns nineteen years of age, he is told his tribe of blood origin from the brand on his back. Since most Ronyn do not ever see their own brands, they must rely on their fellow Ronyn to be truthful. Additionally, the Ronyn is gifted the sword and set of black robes that will serve as his only permanent posessions for the rest of his life. Function as Warrior-Priest The oral legends of the Ronyn tell of a time when the Gods walked among men. The reason for their leaving is unclear. The Ronyn are clear that they see themselves as guardians of truth that, if potentially lost, could prove disastrous. Outsiders inquiring into Ronyn ideology beyond what they can see are told only "Know the Gods and the Gods shall know you."